1 Samuel 13

War with the Philistines

1Saul was 1thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for 2forty-two years over Israel.

2Now Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel, of whom two thousand were with Saul in 3Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, while a thousand were with Jonathan at 4Gibeah of Benjamin. But he sent the rest of the people away, each to his tent. 3And Jonathan attacked 5the garrison of the Philistines that was in 6Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul 7blew the trumpet throughout the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!” 4And all Israel heard 8the news that Saul had attacked the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel 9had become repulsive to the Philistines. Then the people were summoned 10to Saul at Gilgal.

5Now the Philistines assembled to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen, and 11people like the sand which is on the seashore in abundance; and they came up and camped in Michmash, east of 12Beth-aven. 6When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were hard-pressed), then 13the people kept themselves hidden in caves, in crevices, in cliffs, in crypts, and in pits. 7And some of the Hebrews crossed the Jordan into the land of 14Gad and Gilead. But as for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him, trembling.

8Now 15he waited for seven days, until the appointed time that Samuel had set, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from him. 9So Saul said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” And 16he offered the burnt offering. 10But as soon as he finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and 17Saul went out to meet him and to 18greet him. 11But Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “Since I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come at the appointed 19time, and that 20the Philistines were assembling at Michmash, 12I 21thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not 22asked the favor of the Lord.’ So I worked up the courage and offered the burnt offering.” 13But Samuel said to Saul, “23You have acted foolishly! 24You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you, for the Lord would now have established your kingdom 25over Israel 26forever. 14But 27now your kingdom shall not endure. 28The Lord has sought for Himself a man 29after His own heart, and the Lord has appointed him ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”

15Then Samuel set out and went up from Gilgal to 30Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul 31counted the people who were 32present with him, 33about six hundred men. 16Now Saul, his son Jonathan, and the people who were 34present with them were staying in 35Geba of Benjamin while the Philistines camped at Michmash. 17Then 3637raiders came from the camp of the Philistines in three 38companies: one 39company turned 40toward 41Ophrah, to the land of Shual, 18and another 42company turned 43toward 44Beth-horon, and another 45company turned 46toward the border that overlooks the Valley of 47Zeboim toward the wilderness.

19Now 48no blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel, because the Philistines said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will make 4950swords or spears.” 20So all Israel went down to the Philistines, each to sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, and his hoe. 21The charge was 51two-thirds of a shekel for the plowshares, the mattocks, the forks, and the axes, and to fix the 52cattle goads. 22So it came about on the day of battle that 53neither sword nor spear was found in the hands of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan, but they were found with Saul and his son Jonathan. 23And 54the garrison of the Philistines went out to 55the gorge of Michmash.